Re-Purpose Bath & Body Works Candle Jars

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Have empty candle jars?🕯️

Consider cleaning them out to re-purpose around the house! I’m addicted to buying those yummy smelling Bath & Body Works candles from Hip2Save deals, and quickly noticed a collection of empty jars forming.

Instead of tossing in the trash, consider turning them into handy containers for small bathroom supplies, beauty products, craft supplies, and pantry storage. There are so many things you can keep in them!

The secret to cleaning glass candle jars is to freeze them for at least a few hours, and then you’ll be able to use a butter knife and crack the wax easily and remove. Trash or save the excess wax to place in a wax warmer, if desired!


To remove the labels easily, first soak the jars in hot soapy water, and then they will usually come off pretty easily. For removing super stubborn adhesive residue, consider using acetone or Goo Gone.

Tip: If there’s still a little wax residue inside the glass, place in the microwave for a few seconds to help melt and it will be easier to wipe clean.


Here are three easy ideas I was able to implement right away to re-purpose my jars…

1.) Bathroom Apothecary Jars

To create a q-tip and cotton ball storage for the bathroom, I glued these small clear glass knobs to the top of metal candle covers using e6000 craft glue. They look so pretty on the bathroom counter!

bath-body-works-candles-pantry-organizing

2.) Food Storage Containers

Use jars in the pantry to store smaller items such as nuts, rice, and coffee, etc.


3.) Candy Dish

As a fun holiday idea, use as a candy dish to hold mini candy canes or small chocolates!

Join The Discussion

Comments 151

  1. Luke

    Greetings,

    *Stepping out in faith here.* My name is Luke Anthony. Due to some family needs I want to start making candles for supplemental income. I am in the Kansas City MO area. I have made some candles in the past so……some experience. My objective is to build a brand and secure a corner in the market. I am coming to you all for assistance. Is there anyone that has some jars that can be re-purposed or would be willing to help me get started and supply me with a small kit, jars, I.e. wax, wicks, accessories please? Please feel free to contact me anytime at 913-293-8583.
    Thank you in advance for your consideration.

    Best,

    Luke Anthony

    • Nicole Donnelly

      I do not because I sell Scentsy products however because I support small businesses, I will absolutely support yours. It also helps that you’re located in KC and that happens to be my hometown, although I haven’t lived there in nearly twenty years. Please keep in touch and let me know once your business is up and running as I would love to purchase some of your products. Best of luck in all you do! Nicole Donnelly wittyandwickless@gmail.com

    • Linda

      Do you still need them? I have some you can have.

  2. Brenda Gordon-Pscheidt

    Here’s a helpful tip i’ve discovered. I reuse the cotton that comes in medicine/vitamin bottles to wipe out the warm wax. It works much better than a paper towel. The wax seems to stick to it better.

  3. Rochelle

    Do the lids come off when using the knob or do you remove the plastic gasket under the lid?

  4. Rachel B.

    I did the boiling water method to get rid of the wax & I think it worked better than the freezing method.

    • KT

      Could you please share this method?

      • Tammy

        I saw a method on Life Hacks that is super easy. I put about 1-1.5 inches of water in the jar and then set it on the range while I am using the oven. The wax will all move to the top when it hardens and the water pushes it to the surface. I love this method and it requires such little effort.

  5. Tammy G

    I have a house plant that keeps reproducing so I spray paint candle jars to plant them in and give them away.

  6. Laura

    I love these ideas and I’ve used them for planting succulents. But I have never really been able to get the scent out of the jar, so I wouldn’t be able to use them for food like nuts or rice, etc.

    • JRC

      Hi!! I haven’t tried any of these suggestions yet but I know doterra lemon essential removes smells from most things! Maybe that will help you. I’m anxious to try these!!

    • Sarah

      What a good idea. I’ve been thinking about bringing some succulents to work.

    • Nancy

      If you remove the ring from the lid and run it through the dishwasher it will remove the smell. It may take a few washings. Be careful not to tear the ring when removing from the lid.

  7. Leslie

    Thanks for this post. I reuse these jars many different ways. I put artificial sweetener packets in these near the coffee pot for a coffee station. I take the tops off and store plastic spoons in these for ease of use. At my office, I use these with the tops for storing large binder clips, rubber bands, etc. In the bathroom, I put rubber bands and hair accessories in these. My teen stores her makeup brushes in one of these without the top.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Great ideas!! Thanks so much for sharing Leslie ❤️

  8. Lena

    How do you remove the metal from the candle wick? I had no problem with the wax but can’t remove the metal parts.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      So I froze my candle overnight and then used a butter knife to loosen the metal wick – try to get under it and lift. it came out pretty easy that way.

      • Leslie

        I do the same as Lina. sometimes, I use a spoon to wedge gently between the metal wick holder and the base of the glass. Also, if you put some warm water in the jar, it will usually loosen the metal.

    • shop4mybabies

      i make candles if i have one that is really stuck on sometimes heating it with a bbq lighter from underneath helps to loosen it

  9. Joyce Raney

    I put the jars on an electric warmer and when the wax melts the metal loosens and floats in the wax so I just pour it out into coffee cans.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      great idea! Thanks Joyce!

  10. Cindy Dreste

    Why don’t you recycle the jars and give discount on future purchases?

    • Karri L Bollinger

      I totally agree why don’t they recycle the jars? It would be like how a bottle deposit works!

  11. Maya

    Hi, how do you get the smell to come out? I want to reuse for food items, but I would prefer my food not to taste like the candle scent. Is there a way to remove the plastic on the lid to get rid of the scent?

  12. Sherri

    We collected used candle jars to use as part of centerpiece decor for our daughter’s bridal shower and wedding. We filled them with sand, added small sea shells and paired them with additional tealight votives for simple decor at her shower. We alternated the candle jars arrangements with larger florist vases with seashells, sand and seagrass arrangements. At the wedding, we reused these arrangements by adding them to the grander tropical arrangements for the table centerpieces as well as to decorate the photo backdrop. One of my daughters recently received some broken jars in a shipment, she was able to get the candles from the broken jar and place into jars I have saved. I have three daughters so I continue to save these in anticipation of using again for more weddings and hopefully for future baby showers!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      How neat! I love these ideas – thanks for sharing Sherri.

    • Lpaulus67@aol.com

      SherrI; would love to see a pic of the centerpiece you used if you’re willing to share.

  13. Sil

    I use the lids as a coaster I just cut out a round piece of cork paper set inside

    • Go Zags

      Thanks for the idea. I’m going to try that as soon as I have some unused lids.

  14. Colorado Amy

    The cute Yoplait Oui yogurt jars are also great to re-purpose. The label is super stubborn though. I need to try acetone or Goo-Gone. I use them for cotton swabs in my bathroom cabinets.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Yes I agree and they sell lids on their website to reuse them! Smart.

  15. =K=

    Got a question: I would love to reuse some of the jars for food, for example coconut oil. But the problem is that I keep smelling the candle scent on the lid. I believe the silicone/plastic soaks it up. How do I get rid of it? Anybody had that issue? Otherwise I am afraid I will end up with coconut oil smelling like pine 😀

    • G Lee

      I have the same problem and have not found the answer. Frustrating!!!

  16. Angela Barthelemy

    This is right on time. Thanks to Ms Kondo, I was going to throw away the empty containers that have accumulated in my bedroom as soon as I got home from work today. These are all great ideas.

  17. Angela Bible

    I just love these ideas!! I save all my candle jars and use them in every room of our home to store all sorts of things! Here’s a helpful tip I just happened to discover:
    After freezing and removing remaining candle, grab a dryer sheet (I personally prefer Bounce) and wipe clean. It has worked perfect every time and you can actually re-use that dryer sheet a few more times. Hope y’all find this helpful and have a wonderful day!! 😊

  18. Nicole L

    So I have the prettiest jar from yankee candle but they embossed the lid, anyway to remove that?

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      I’m not sure on that, but maybe you can fill it with nail putty, sand it and spray paint it? Ha that’d be lots of work though….

  19. Glenda M Lee

    HOW DO YOU GET THE SMELL OF THE CANDLE OUT OF THE BATH AND BODY WORKS LID? I CANNOT PUT FOOD IN THE JAR WITHOUT IT TASTING LIKE THE CANDLE ! ! ! ! HELP, SOMEONE.

  20. Carol Rogers

    Any suggestions on how to get the fragrant odors from inside candle jar lids?

  21. Erica

    I use them to store my makeup brushes

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Great idea! Thanks for sharing 😍

  22. pat3579

    I use the wax that I remove for fire starters. Melt the wax and pour it into a cardboard egg carton. When cold, cut the egg carton apart.

  23. vivi

    Bleach will get rid of the smell. Mix half water and half bleach in a bowl, and let the silicone ring soak in it for 3-4 hours.

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      thanks for the tip!

  24. Katy

    To remove any label I use my hairdryer and tweezers. Heat item up for a few seconds and the label comes off easily. Be careful with plastics…doesn’t take as long as glass.

  25. Becky

    Cute ideas but not all glass is safe for food. The FDA regulates glass and decides what is food safe.

  26. Amy L.

    One of my favorite ways to reuse mine is to fill it will color sharpies and sit it on my desk. So colorful and keeps them right where I can use one quickly. The kids gravitate towards it too.

  27. Jen

    I use the left over wax in my wax warmer so I use the 1/2”-1” wax left in the bottom. When I get the metal wick holders out, I microwave the glass for a few seconds and I can wipe the residual wax clean with a paper towel after that. Sometimes I go over it with windex. Then I spray paint the lids and I’ve been hot gluing shells on top to use as a handle to grab the lid off. Just another idea:) I put q-tips, cotton balls and my Venus refill razors in them on my bathroom counter which is beach themed. Love these reusable ideas. Keep sharing please and thank you!

    • Lina D (Hip2Save Sidekick)

      Great tip on the microwave Jen! Thanks for sharing your process!

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